Sport Golf
Bitter disappointment – Yannick Paul didn’t go to the Ryder Cup
Status: 3:35 p.m. | Reading time: 3 minutes
Yannik Paul has been playing at the highest level for a year
Quelle: Getty Images/Stuart Franklin
Europe have a lot to make up for after a nasty smack against the USA in the Ryder Cup. Captain Luke Donald has now announced which golfers he is sending to Rome. The best German was not chosen. But a player who only turned professional in June.
The teams for the 44th Ryder Cup have been decided. The prestigious continental comparison between Europe and the USA will be held in Rome from September 29th to October 1st this year. Europe’s captain, England’s Luke Donald, announced his team on Monday.
The following players automatically qualified via the rankings: Jon Rahm (Spain), Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), Viktor Hovland (Norway), Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton (both England) and Robert MacIntyre (Scotland). Now Donald chose the following six players on his own: Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose (both England), Sepp Straka (Austria), Shane Lowry (Ireland), Nicolai Hojgaard (Denmark) and Ludvig Aberg (Sweden).
also read
This also makes it clear that Yannick Paul was not chosen by Donald and that there will again be no German at the Ryder Cup, the last participant so far was Martin Kaymer in 2016. Paul had been at the top of the DP World Tour since last summer. At the end of 2022, the 29-year-old won his first tournament on Mallorca and subsequently collected several top places. He had the chance to qualify directly for Rome until Sunday, but the man from Frankfurt narrowly missed out on the final place.
Aberg, whose appointment is remarkable, now got it. The 23-year-old was number one in the amateur world rankings and only became a professional in June. On the PGA Tour he immediately got a 25th and fourth place, rather the Swede traveled to Europe, where he immediately finished fourth in the Czech Republic and then won on his second start on the DP World Tour. On Sunday, Aberg won the traditional tournament in Crans Montana, Switzerland.
Ludvig Aberg has only been a professional for the year. On Sunday he won in Crans Montana in his second start on the DP World Tour
Quelle: Getty Images/Stuart Franklin
The Europeans now have a lot to make up for in Rome. Two years ago they were badly crushed in the USA on the pitch by Whistling Straits. They had clearly lost 9:19 and then adjusted their qualification conditions to those of the Americans. Eight players had previously qualified directly, now there are only six. In this way, the captain should be able to better incorporate the current form and be less dependent on taking too many players with him who had scored their points many months ago but are currently not hitting the track. That benefited Aberg and probably cost Paul his starting place.
America debates Justin Thomas
US captain Zach Johnson had presented his team a week earlier. Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman, Patrick Cantlay, Max Homa and Xander Schauffele qualified directly. Johnson also selected Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka and Sam Burns.
The choice of Thomas in particular is considered tricky. Although he is an experienced and successful Ryder Cup player, he continued to play below his potential this year. Thomas didn’t even qualify for the PGA Top 70 playoffs, and he’s also a friend of Johnson’s.
Keegan Bradley probably wouldn’t mind showing a finger other than the index finger right now…
Those: AP/Mike Stewart
The fact that an in-form player like Keegan Bradley, who won twice this season, was ignored instead causes discussion. Thomas will have to deliver in Rome to clear his captain of the accusation of cronies. Bradley is unlikely to be watching. When asked what he thought of Johnson’s election, he said very frankly, “I’m totally depressed.”
